Siana
by evenstar8705
Summary: A sequel to "Damar and Siana". Kilana's clone takes an interest in Siana's research for her own reasons as Weyoun begins to suspect her relationship with Damar. Siana just wants to protect her baby.
1. Chapter 1

Weyoun was in a terribly distracted state when he entered his private quarters so he didn't notice the Vorta woman sitting at his desk for a few moments. The shock of Legate Damar's betrayal was fresh. He was almost certain the Female Founder would blame him for not seeing such a devastating blow coming! But no, he told himself, she wouldn't because with the destruction of the cloning facilities, she couldn't replace him and she still needed him. He could be the very last Weyoun.

"Salutations, my dear old friend!" the Vorta woman announced herself.

"Kilana?" the name sprang to his lips without memory or explanation.

The Vorta woman, Kilana, was quite beautiful. The Founders intentionally fashioned the Vorta species to be the perfect ambassadors and making them attractive on the superficial level was done because they knew humanoids responded better to a pretty face. Kilana took that idea beyond that, however. Her eyes were gray and her hair was a rich brown that she kept long. She had it in a style where half her hair was in a beautiful braided bun and the rest was still loose about her face. Unlike most Vorta females, she wore jewelry and makeup.

Her outfit purposely brought attention to her cleavage, something else Vorta women normally never did. It was a cranberry colored blouse and skirt with a corduroy design on the abdomen, an uneven, pleated, floral pattern in several shades of blue on the collar. There was a distinctive beauty mark on one of her cheeks and she wasn't tall, but she pierced Weyoun with her eyes as though she was a giant in size.

"I knew some part of your cells would remember me," she placed a hand on his face as she whispered that.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" he moved away not because he wasn't curious about her intentions but because he was expected to be repulsed by physical contact of any kind.

"You are not the only Vorta granted the privilege of a sort of immortality. I am not quite the same Kilana that you knew and you are not even the second or the third Weyoun that she knew!"

Weyoun swallowed nervously. No other Vorta came close to throwing him off like this. He had read this woman's profile in passing. She might be comparable to him in methods of manipulation. Unlike him, Kilana had been known to adopt qualities from other species that she found useful. The more she lingered in his presence, the more jarring it proved to his psyche. He was puzzled by his reaction.

"Aren't you supposed to be retired permanently, though?" he demanded. "After your actions?"

"You mean my former incarnation's actions? If that was the case, you shouldn't be standing here either, Weyoun. Have you forgotten one of your clones almost defected to Odo the exiled Founder?"

"He came to his senses and took his life near the end!" he said with indignation.

"So did my predecessor."

They were both at an impasse. They stared at each other for a space of time with trained Vorta smiles on their faces. Both were masters of that tool, masking their thoughts and motives with profession. The female Vorta's smile curled with mischief and her eyes grew wanton. She was clearly much more comfortable with imitating sexuality than he was. Weyoun was the first to look away and he lost their little game. How he hated losing!

"What do you want from me?" he asked. "Hasn't the Founder given you an assignment yet?"

"I was fortunate enough to leave the labs just before the attack. I was also lucky enough that I have total recall of my clone's memories."

"What?" Weyoun tried not to shout.

She grinned as though she had no idea of the gravity of what she had so casually confessed. Most clones remembered little to nothing about their former selves. The Founders provided the data they deemed relevant. Most of the time, they determined a clone shouldn't be burdened by their original's mistakes. They tweaked the genes a little each time, trying to improve a subject that way instead of by experience. If Weyoun or another Vorta had what they suspected was a previous subject's memories, they were supposed to report it.

"I said I remember everything, Weyoun," she brushed her lips upon his seductively. "_Everything_!"

Weyoun shoved her back instead of forward, quite alarmed. Had one of his clones actually engaged in some sort of intimate relationship with Kilana?

"Oh, yes," she hissed, reading his thoughts as accurately as though he were an open book. "We did!"

"How?" his jaw dropped.

"The cloning process isn't perfect, Weyoun," she informed him. "We are each defective in our own ways. One of your clones could see color, did you know that?"

"I could?" he was enthralled by the prospect.

She nodded, "Another could dream! Your second clone could even love and did!"

"Impossible!"

She laughed at him, "I want that strange woman Siana's research on the White Addiction or the woman herself."

"Why would I give you either of those things?"

"You are going to give me what I want, Weyoun, or I will reveal everything I recall to you and then to the Founder!"

"Don't do that!" he begged. "I'm already deep in trouble!"

"Then you will do exactly as I say."


	2. Chapter 2

Siana wasn't entirely sure what to expect with her pregnancy. She was a mix of several species of aliens that included Cardassian and Bajoran. She honestly had no clue what the third was. She couldn't exactly go to a doctor to ask questions since her condition needed to be kept secret desperately. The father of the child was Legate Damar and labeled a traitor and criminal by the Dominion and she was still trapped at their headquarters!

Since her baby was going to be almost full Cardassian, she assumed that she was going to experience the miracle of life as a Cardassian woman should. When it came to her anatomy, she matched a Cardassian female the most. She had listened to some of them prattle on happily about their experiences, but she had only been mildly interested. She never in her wildest dreams thought to be an expectant mother herself. She had been on so many drugs and substances in the past she was lucky to be alive. She abused no substances and made a profession fighting addiction these days.

She stroked her abdomen without thinking as she searched the computer databases for information on childbirth in all its forms. She used a safety measure to make sure Dominion spies couldn't track her searches. The most important thing was that Cardassian women were ovoviviparous. They produced eggs but the egg hatched inside the body and the offspring remained within to develop further. As far she knew there would be no placenta or umbilical cords. Her baby would be nourished in other ways until it was born live possibly in a thin membrane or amniotic sac.

Of course, she feared that something about her strange and unique biology could sabotage this pregnancy or make a birth dangerous for both her and the baby. Damar had seemed far less worried. If Cardassians were capable of having hybrids successfully with Bajorans, Terrans, and other aliens, he was confident that Siana should have no more difficulty than they had. That comforted her a little, but she missed him terribly. She had been having premonitions about the sex of her baby and the fate of its father. She was convinced the child was a boy and that she would never see Damar again.

She was trying to read advice about the sort of diet she should be keeping to when Weyoun suddenly called her, his face appearing on the screen and interrupting her. She jumped a little in her seat, startled. She knew the Vorta couldn't possibly know what she was doing, but her state caused her to be frazzled constantly.

"Yes?"

"Come to Operations. Your expertise is required," Weyoun said as though he was reluctant to summon her.

"Promptly, sir."

She was grateful that her pregnancy wasn't showing. Bajorans carried their babies for five months and Cardassians were much the same. She was halfway through and was a little concerned she hadn't gained an ounce of weight but had been having terrible cramps and one of her wrists seemed swollen. No one seemed to suspect the affair that had gone on between the Legate Damar and the mongrel that she was or her condition.

She walked through the corridors and halls as though nothing was amiss. When she stepped into the same room as Weyoun, however, she was astonished that he seemed to be ballistic and was shouting.

"Legate Damar is a traitor of the worst kind! He was a drunkard and an incompetent soldier better suited for a civilian life! Dukat must have kept him around as a patsy that agreed with his terrible decisions! What was he hoping to achieve by destroying our cloning facilities? Now his people will pay the price including his family!"

"His family?" Siana couldn't help but butt in.

Weyoun hadn't realized she was there because he was so passionate about denouncing the former Cardassian leader turned Resistance fighter. He paused and glanced at her. Next to him stood a female Vorta Siana had never seen before. The stranger smiled warmly at her and motioned for her to step closer.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that Legate Damar had a family," Siana quickly covered herself.

"Oh he has a wife and son on Cardassia Prime," Weyoun had a cruel smile on his face. "I thought it strange that he made arrangements recently to move them off their home world. Luckily for us, his bride delayed leaving. Cardassian civilians resent leaving their planet and she wanted the boy to finish his school curriculum this quarter or risk falling behind. I want them executed immediately."

"Sir, wouldn't it be wiser to capture them alive instead?" Siana attempted reason even though love for Damar motivated her more.

The female Vorta unexpectedly supported her, "She had the right idea, Weyoun. Damar could be traced better or might surrender himself if he has a shred of hope of saving his family. At the very least, the wife could give us clues as to where he could be found."

"As far as I could tell from their conversations, Damar cared nothing for his wife and told her nothing!" Weyoun snapped. "He slept with dozens of other women and he wouldn't have risked their lives in the first place if he 'loved' them! Even if the woman had information, Cardassian females have a notorious tolerance for pain and the Female Founder forbids torturing children. No," Weyoun insisted, "it must be execution for them both! Now!"

The Jem'Hadar never balked at killing and left swiftly to carry out their grim mission. Siana was pale and the Vorta girl frowned with disapproval.

"What's the matter, Kilana?" the male Vorta turned to the female. "You've done worse things! As for you, Siana, what do you care? Damar isn't your kind. As far as I know, no one is your particular kind."

"It's a civilian woman and a child!" she said in a low voice.

"Traitor spawn."

"I think you are relishing a bit of hasty and personal revenge in this order, my friend," Kilana giggled. "I heard you never liked the Legate."

"I shouldn't have had you sober him up!" Weyoun pointed in Siana's face. "It's true; I did despise that useless reptile! He couldn't even sign an order or treaty without a long and tedious argument!"

"That useless reptile has wiped out your method of reproducing troops!" Siana said darkly.

"She burned you!" Kilana's sadistic giggle became a shrill laugh.

Weyoun glared at both women with unabashed anger. He was getting incredibly tired of being humiliated. He had never underestimated a foe nearly as much as he had done with Damar and he would never be able to forget it no matter how many lifetimes he lived. He prided himself on being a good judge of character and he was convinced that Cardassian had none!

Siana wasn't easily intimidated, but the look in Weyoun's eye did frighten her. Kilana continued to smile.

"You wanted me for some assignment?" Siana changed the subject.

"Not me. She wants it," Weyoun jabbed his finger at Kilana instead of her.

"Why?" Siana turned her head toward the Vorta woman.

"The labs produced the drug the Jem'Hadar soldiers relied on as well as our reinforcements. We must break their addiction to the White or this batch may die before they reach their battle stations."

"Don't you have most of the Cardassian army still and the Breen?"

"The Cardassians are loyal only under threat of annihilation now. The Breen may not be enough."

"Will the Founders be forced to fight themselves?" Siana asked, trying not to gloat. "That would be something! An army of shape shifters!"

"That is beneath gods!" Weyoun said piously.

_And it is very cowardly and convenient of them. _Siana had the intelligence not to say that aloud.

"Oh, zip it!" Kilana rolled her eyed and shocked them both. "You and I know that the Founders are suffering a mysterious illness and it makes their shifting near impossible for them! It might be killing them!"

"Kilana!" Weyoun roared. "Hold your tongue!"

"It's true and this woman is already privy to top secret information!"

Siana stared forward and said nothing. Weyoun circled her like a suspicious and agitated buzzard.

"If you repeat this information or fail to hide your research, I'll have you executed too!" he threatened.

Kilana took Siana by the arm and led her out, saying soothingly, "Don't mind that bag of hot Vorta air. Weyoun just knows his days are numbered."


	3. Chapter 3

Siana had never had a real home but the lab setting made her feel as though she was in a place somewhat like it. Her assistants and technicians were unfamiliar, but she kept most people, especially coworkers at a careful distance. As long as they did their jobs adequately and discretely, she was able to concentrate on her work.

She wore her lab coat, mask, goggles, and gloves. Kilana remained in her provocative outfit and behind the barrier keeping the lab sterile but allowing her to communicate. She had a Jem'Hadar soldier on either side of her. As an important Vorta officer, she had a unit of them always at her whim and disposal.

"I am pleased to say that our intelligence managed to ferret out Starfleet's method of synthesizing the protein the Jem'Hadar is missing and that the White provided them. Half our work is nearly complete. We simply need your people to decode the medical and scientific jargon and replicate it here," Kilana informed her.

"Then your soldiers will not immediately die in droves," Siana wasn't really relieved. "But there are other crippling symptoms that can compromise them in more subtle ways. They will become sluggish and unresponsive over time. Others go insane or degenerate mentally. Even the artificial protein doesn't completely satisfy them. Starfleet admitted that in their reports."

"Yes, we are painfully aware of that fact. I understand, Siana, that you were attempting to address just that sort of thing before?"

"For a brief while, yes."

"I pored over your findings. It was a shame you seemed to throw in the towel and give up so quickly! The Founders must have felt vilified."

Siana stared hard at the Vorta woman. She knew her species could never possibly be trusted. Kilana was more dangerous than Weyoun. She knew his motives but Kilana's were a mystery. The Vorta woman seemed friendly and sympathetic, but Siana couldn't tell if it was completely false or disguising a mutual but temporary interest. The way Kilana openly challenged the Founders' perceived power made her seem very at odds with other Vorta. She was a heretic, in a sense.

"I was happy to please the Founders," Siana said in a controlled voice.

"I'm sure you were!" Kilana's smile was almost too big for her lips to handle. "I don't want you to give up so easily this time. Let me introduce you to Jasper and Jack."

The soldiers with her nodded.

"Hello," Siana said a little sarcastically.

Jem'Hadar were anything but friendly. They also didn't usually have personal names.

"These two are exceptional," Kilana explained, seeing the puzzlement in her eyes. "They are mine. I have become fond of them and I am not ashamed to admit it. I'm hoping that will incentivize you to keep them alive."

"What makes them so special?"

"They were created in the same lab as I was. I watched them grow up. That only took about a week, but they were such cute little darlings! They see me as a sort of mother and personally protect me."

"You gave them their names, then?"

"They chose them. They're clever boys."

"How long since they were given the drug?"

Kilana's smile was gone and her eyes looked sad, "I just gave them the last of the White in my possession."

"Was it a full dose or a diluted like most of the others are getting?"

"Full dose."

"Let us observe them then while they go through the withdrawal."

The soldiers passed through decontamination and into the lab. The doctor had sent with them information on their physiology and state. Siana read it and became excitable.

"We are in incredibly good standing but it might not sound like it!" she said.

"Explain what that means," Kilana crinkled her nose and furrowed her brows.

"Jack appears to be a rare type that is already a producer of the missing protein. I didn't include the information in my report to the Founders, but more and more of the new batched of Jem'Hadar are evolving to produce the lacking protein on their own in spite of the genetic engineering. Jasper, on the other hand, will need the artificial supplement."

"So you are saying that at least one is guaranteed to live," Kilana sighed.

"Jack has a distinct advantage, yes. This means we have a control and variable perfect for experiments and research purposes."

"I suppose that is good."

"Why are you doing this?" Siana whispered when the Jem'Hadar were out of earshot. "You care about these creatures as more than soldiers. It can't be mere sentimentality!"

"Oh, Siana, it is partially," Kilana looked wounded and then devious. "If the Founders really are dying, then it is my species that will take over the Dominion. The Jem'Hadar will have much weaker gods to replace the old, but I want them to see us as better because we don't enslave them with a drug. We would be benevolent and gentle gods."

Siana let out her well known bitter laugh, "The Jem'Hadar are reptiles more ruthless than Cardassians! They are stronger than Klingons! Do you expect them to bow to a weaker species simply because you seem kind?"

"We are already their masters thanks to Dominion Doctrine taught to them for countless years. It will be hard for them to forget that. They are also genetic eunuchs and have no women. They can't reproduce without us. We Vorta are far more intelligent. They need us."

"I sincerely hope you are right and they don't just turn on you and make you the slaves. If Jem'Hadar went rampant on the galaxy-"

"The Vorta won't let that happen. I promise," Kilana said firmly.

"But who would you unleash them on first?" Siana dared to ask.

"Only those that threaten us."

Siana was unsettled at that but went to work. Over the next few frantic days with hardly any sleep and little food, they synthesized the protein. Siana had Jasper and Jack meditate and listen to soothing chants. She gave them counseling and non-addictive supplements. She used every trick in the book she knew to aid recovering addicts. Jack was physically doing well but belligerent. Jasper was sickly but receptive to her. Both were clearly exhibiting withdrawal signs. At least neither were in critical conditions like her previous subjects.

Siana was tempted sorely to sabotage the synthesized protein before they mass produced it for the rest of the soldiers. She could poison them and aid Damar and Starfleet. She almost did it, but then she realized she wouldn't be able to pass blame for this to anyone else. The repercussions would fall on her and her unborn child. With Damar's wife and son murdered, this was likely going to be his only child. She had moral qualms about destroying an entire species even if they were practically Frankenstein-like monsters.

She was organizing data when she began to feel dizzy and nauseous. She looked down at her swollen wrist. It had become worse and her fingers were trembling uncontrollably. An assistant put a hand on her shoulder and said her name with concern.

"I'm fine!" she snapped. "Don't touch me!"

The effort of trying to scramble away was too much. She had been working so hard she forgot how delicate her condition was. She wasn't as hardy as a Cardassian woman. She felt herself slump and lost consciousness, waking later in the medical offices.

When she realized where she was, she immediately began to panic. Had she really fainted? She had never done that sort of thing in her life! She was angry at herself and knew she needed to get out of here. She figured she just needed food and rest. She didn't want them running tests and finding out about her baby.

She was about to spring out of the bed when the doctor appeared. It was a male doctor, some sort of species from the Gamma Quadrant, overly cheerful, and he would prove to be a loud-mouth.

"Siana? Welcome back! You have been terribly neglectful to both yourself and your little passenger!"

"Oh no!"

Siana's heart leaped into her throat. Or was that just vomit from how disgusted she was? Everyone knew the medical offices were bugged! This doctor was about to spill her most important and dangerous secret! She gestured wildly for him to shut up, but it was too late.

"Did you not realize you were pregnant and that the baby hatched inside you already? It's a healthy Cardassian boy according to the tests. Except that it is a bit underweight. I have the exact supplements you'll need for the last bit of the pregnancy. Will you give me the name of the happy father so that I can let him know you are both alright?"

Siana face palmed and hissed, "There is no father, you jackass!"

"Of course there is! You can't have a baby without a-"

"I was artificially inseminated!" Siana lied. "The father was an anonymous donor!"

"I didn't think Cardassians did that."

"I'm not Cardi so none of them would impregnate me through traditional means! They think they are above that sort of thing! I wanted a child, though, so I asked for a donation!"

"Oh, uh-" the doctor stammered.

"I didn't' want anyone to know about this!" Siana sobbed.

"Why not?"

"Because I could lose everything!"

"Sorry!'

"You're sorry?" Siana raged.

"Now, calm down! You don't want to harm your baby!"

Siana ripped out the IV's and other such things from her body and stormed out of the room only pausing to snatch the supplements from the doctor. She didn't care that all she wore as the flimsy patient's gown. She prayed that Weyoun and Kilana didn't get wind of this and guess who the father really was.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jasper, Jack, I have the protein you need," Siana beckoned the Jem'Hadar over offering capsules in her hand.

They had produced the replacement for the White, but now, Siana needed to make sure the soldiers would willingly take it and if it would prove effective. These two had been taking it too briefly a time to declare success yet.

Jasper began to reach for the capsules, but Jack interfered. He snatched them and tossed them away. Siana hid her frustration. If Jack kept refusing, he was going to grow weak and die. Now he wanted to prevent the person actually wanting it to take it. That was another thing entirely.

"Why won't you take it?" she asked calmly.

"It's not the White! I know it's fake! I took it last time and still felt weak. The White made us strong and feel whole. This goo or powder you crafted merely allows us to survive another day. It can't have the blessing of the Founders!"

"It's chemically the exact thing you need, Jack! It's the protein which your companion needs not you! You simply want the placebo effect the White gives you! I told you that repeated observation proves there is no distinguishable difference in your strength or agility after a dose of White compared to this. Your mind became focused but you've been taught many ways to do that naturally! Your adrenaline and endorphins skyrocketed to unhealthy levels though. Do you realize that over time the White was straining your heart and other organs?"

Siana was wasting her breath. She had explained this multiple times to this particular soldier. He didn't want to listen to too many words she had come to notice. He didn't want to hear anything that didn't comply with his preconceived notions either. Instead he growled at her and moved to strike her cruelly.

She gasped and braced herself. She should have known these creatures were unable or unwilling to curb their hostile genes. During their time, neither Jem'Hadar had been violent to her person or staff. Jasper had been amazingly disciplined despite his obvious pain and even Jack had broken objects and wounded himself. She had allowed herself to be lulled into a false sense of security because Kilana had forbid them from harming her especially. Jem'Hadar had to obey direct orders. Their genes demanded they obey the Founders and the Vorta but no one else.

_Please don't let him hit me near my womb and hurt Jivan!_ She prayed to the universe that desperate plea.

Before the attacker's blow could land, Jasper blocked it and shielded Siana with his body. Siana recovered from her initial shock and took the opportunity he gave her to escape the room and erect a barrier around the two Jem'Hadar as they grappled. She alerted Kilana through her com. She feared that they might kill each other.

The Vorta woman was quick and never far from her favored soldiers. She deactivated the barrier and entered the room fearlessly. She shouted at the top of her lungs more like a scolding mother rather than an officer.

"Boys, get off of each other this instant! This is your commanding officer giving you a compulsory order: Kilana!"

"Yes, sir!" Jasper complied immediately.

"I-"

"Don't be insubordinate, Jack!" Kilana hollered. "Would you strike me too? Go ahead! I dare you!"

Siana gasped again at that. Jack seemed to consider calling the bluff, but Kilana stared him down. He glared but didn't move.

"You've already attacked your brother and potentially harmed a civilian scientist putting her life on the line to save yours! Show some respect! I am disappointed in you! You used to be my sweet little thing."

Jack's eyes softened at her last words. The barking beforehand seemed to make him angrier. Then he stood in obedient military stance. He actually looked ashamed now. Siana was amazed at the power the small Vorta woman clearly possessed over these Jem'Hadar. She had never witnessed their species express emotion other than pure fury.

"Aid your brother!" Kilana ordered.

Jack took Jasper's arm and helped him to his feet. Jasper regained his stoic composure, copying his twin.

"Much better! Let me have a talk with Siana and don't misbehave again! And apologize!"

"We will behave more like soldiers," the brothers said in perfect unison.

Kilana rewarded them both by stroking their chests because she couldn't reach any higher than that.

"I am sorry Jack attacked you. Thank goodness Jasper stopped him. Are you unhurt?" she asked.

"I'm fine."

"It seems you can't convince Jack to take his medicine. If you can't convince him, you won't convince the rest."

"Tell me something I don't know!"

"I have something better. I may have the solution. It is quite simple actually. Make the synthesized protein look exactly like the White. Allow the Vorta to distribute it in the same ritual manner as the White. Don't call it anything but White."

"You want me to lie?"

"You just prattled on about how all Jack wants is a placebo. When you hand out sugar pills in a control trial, you don't tell the patients unlucky enough to be jilted what they are being given."

"No, but those are volunteers that are warned that they might be getting it instead of medicine after all. They read and sign waivers and understand how trials are supposed to work and why. We don't intentionally deceive anyone!"

"Siana, these are Jem'Hadar we are talking about. They seem like ideal super soldiers, but most of them really are just children under their violence, armor and ridiculous muscle mass. They won't understand anything more than slavish obedience to the Founders and the joy of battle for several generations. Besides, have you got a better idea?"

Siana sighed in defeat. They didn't have time for anything better. Weyoun had been putting pressure on them from the beginning and Jem'Hadar was being hospitalized already. She reluctantly dressed the protein up just like the geriatric drug and Kilana presented it in ritual style to Jasper and Jack like a crooning mother bird feeding her hatchlings.

"I feel better already!" Jack declared. "I feel the White strengthening my bones and muscles! My mind is connecting to the Universe! I feel the presence of the Founders! I am grateful!"

Jasper said nothing and that was fascinating to Siana. She had a gut feeling that he was far smarter than his brother and knew it wasn't really White they were ingesting. He also chose to keep that suspicion to himself.

"Jasper wants to break his addiction!" she said to Kilana in rapid excitement when they were alone again. "Even though he needs the drug more, he wants to be free. Jack doesn't need it, but he can't let go! They are reconfirming things I have always personally believed."

"Now you also see that white lies are sometimes the greatest good," Kilana grinned. "If we tell the Jem'Hadar army that we found stockpiles of White and repeat this experiment, I daresay they will believe it is the true reality of the situation."

Siana grumbled at that.

"Kilana?" Weyoun spoke from her com badge. "I require your affirmation on something."

"I have good news for you anyway," she responded.

She traversed her way into the Ops of the Dominion Headquarters to find Weyoun looking pleased. He had a stack of files in his hands. He looked as though he was bursting at the seams to tell her what he was so smug about, but Kilana took charge of the conversation and launched into a progress report about the work Siana had done.

She purposely slowed her rhythm as she spoke; relishing Weyoun's every sign of impatience. She enjoyed tormenting him this way. Memories of their intimate moments a lifetime ago surfaced in her brain and she couldn't help but grin wickedly at him. Alas, this Weyoun seemed to be a cold fish. There was no reciprocation in his face or body language, only the fidgeting of a small boy desperate to tell a secret. He didn't even seem to notice that she was flirting with him.

"Alright, what is it that you have for me?" she asked, giving up on trying to rekindle their old romance for now.

Weyoun giggled like a little girl and Kilana blinked. Maybe rekindling their romance would be a horrible idea. She was starting to remember his flaws and misdeeds.

"Did you know that odd woman is pregnant?"

"So what?" Kilana didn't understand where he was going with this or why he cared.

"She was deliberately hiding it. She told the medical staff she was artificially inseminated by an anonymous Cardassian donor."

"And?" Kilana was bored of the subject but knew Weyoun wouldn't let her leave without gossiping.

"Siana's acquaintances have told me she abhorred the very idea of motherhood, speaking derisively of it early and often."

"Humanoid females often change their minds and allow their biological urges to dictate their actions. It is especially so in females of Siana's age."

"Cardassians never donate their seed or genes anonymously. They are obsessed with eugenics and family names, connections, and legacies. That is a cultural feature across all of their species. Colonists on distant planets adhere to it!"

"There are always exceptions."

"No, I suspected her donor came from our very headquarters. I took the liberty of gathering DNA the doctor sampled from Siana and the fetus when he ran tests on them. She collapsed at work and no one knew the reason why. She was unconscious so he had to take blood. I then compared it to the Cardassian staff we employed directly. It's not a large list and it's from a small time frame. They keep this sort of thing on file and in their enormously meticulous databases."

"Aren't you nosy?" Kilana still acted bored.

"I had one name at the top of the list. A particular Glinn bumped up to Legate spent a lot of time with her recently. I woke him from a drunken stupor and noticed a dress tangled in his bed sheets. We can't see color, but we Vorta know texture and can recall other details. I remember that Siana wore an identical dress the night before. I saw them, not together, but in the same bar, several times. The timing of her pregnancy would match if that was indeed the night she conceived. And what do you know?"

Weyoun shifted the files in his hands for dramatic effect and read off the very first name.

"Legate Corat Damar. He and this baby of Siana's are a genetic match!"

"So Siana took advantage of him in a drunken state and got her donation, no doubt," Kilana grimaced. "Damar probably had no recollection of it and likely wouldn't have cared if he did. He could have dozens of bastards with dozens of other women."

"He doesn't. I made sure of it. This is the last of that traitor's spawn," Weyoun said sinisterly.

"His resistance cell is about to be wiped out according to our intelligence. His wife and child were already executed by your order. This child shares genes by the happy accident of a drunken one night stand. It barely has anything to do with him!" Kilana pointed out. "He will not be affected by the knowledge of its existence and he will be dead soon. What more do you want, Weyoun?"

"No, I think his time with Siana wasn't a careless thing. I'm convinced it was a love affair. If Damar dies and his offspring outlive the Founders and the Empire of the Dominion, he still wins! Don't you see that? I refuse to lose to that man, Kilana! I hate losing!"

Kilana nodded, changing her tone and tune to match his, "I see now. Siana has outlived her usefulness after all. I have what I want. I will execute her and the baby myself."


	5. Chapter 5

Siana took her pre-natal supplements as part of her winding down ritual for bed. She was feeling as positive as a woman in her shoes possibly could. The cramps and swelling that had plagued her had stopped. That was probably due to her getting proper nutrition and allowing herself to relax for a moment. Also, work was going well. Her success was benefiting the Dominion that she had grown to despise, but it was still a credit to her that so much progress had been made. That was vindicating.

She felt a new and thrilling sensation as she showered. Jivan kicked and squirmed a bit inside of her. She took a shaky breath and pressed a hand against the heated shower wall as it happened. She had stopped thinking of the baby as a zygote or egg and instead as a living person that was her son. He was hers and Damar's. She couldn't help but brush away a bittersweet tear, remembering his touch and longing for it again.

She was putting on a night robe when the sound of a visitor at the door alerted her. She cautiously glanced to see who it could be before she would consider allowing them inside her quarters. It was Kilana with Jasper and Jack at her side. She hesitated, unsure what to do.

"Siana, you must put on as many clothes as you can and come with me no questions asked," the Vorta woman said.

"Why are you armed?"

Kilana chuckled sardonically, "Naughty girl, I said expressly to ask no questions!"

"How do you expect me to trust you?"

"You save my babies, I save yours."

Before she could properly react, her Jem'Hadar had pried open her doors with brute strength alone. She almost had a heart attack. Apparently Kilana had already deactivated the locking mechanisms and alarms through unspecified means. Siana thought bitterly that she would have made an excellent Obsidian operative if she had been born a Cardassian instead of a Vorta clone.

Jack moved to block her path to escape. Siana must have looked like a wild cornered animal. She was still very puzzled by Kilana's intent.

"Grab what you need for survival," Kilana urged. "Do it before Weyoun discovers what I am doing."

Siana remembered not to ask questions. She realized they must have a short amount of time to do whatever it was Kilana had planned. She grabbed the supplements, clothes and emergency tools. She also grabbed a data rod including all the information upon her research that the Dominion didn't already have. Kilana placed what she could in a case that was primarily used for storing and distributing the White. She nodded and Jasper put restraints on Siana's limbs.

She was being taken prisoner but she preferred it to be Kilana holding her in custody and not Weyoun. She realized he must know everything.

Kilana began to lead her toward the holding cells at first. No one questioned her as she led her charge past Vorta, Jem'Hadar and Breen. Siana figured Kilana wanted her alive for a little longer so she could interrogate her or have her tortured for Weyoun's amusement. Maybe she wanted her to give birth to Jivan first. She might want to save her baby as she implied but not its mother.

She was surprised, then, when Kilana had them change direction at the last second and head toward the shuttle bay.

There were guards at the gate, but those Jem'Hadar appeared to be compromised. They were vomiting blood.

"Prophets!" Siana's eyes bulged.

"I did what you were afraid to do," Kilana explained with massive pride. "I poisoned just their doses and timed the ill effects to our advantage."

She was a little too proud of herself. One soldier managed to sound a silent alarm and a fresh unit of Jem'Hadar entered. Kilana's smile vanished.

"What are you doing with this prisoner?" they demanded.

"Taking her to be processed in a prison camp away from headquarters," Kilana said quickly. "Just as Weyoun commanded."

"Negative, the order was to execute her immediately. That order was spread to all Jem'Hadar just minutes ago."

"Weyoun and I have a difference of opinion on this matter. I am still a Vorta officer. Stand down, soldiers!" Kilana attempted to use all of her persuasive power.

"Weyoun outranks you. Surrender the prisoner."

"There are two prisoners here," Kilana corrected, making a secret gesture to Jasper and Jack.

"We see only one."

"That's because she's pregnant. The Founders would not be happy about the death of an unborn."

"Then we'll rip it out of her."

Jack and Jasper charged with fierce battle cries. Siana ducked into the nearest shuttle, pulling at Kilana.

"I can't abandon them!" she hissed. "And I love watching them fight! Besides, we need to get into the shuttle over there."

The Jem'Hadar challengers didn't have a poisoned dose, but they were suffering withdrawal from the White. Jack and Jasper had mostly recovered thanks to Siana's techniques and experiments. They performed better than their brothers by leaps and bounds. They weren't half blind, half deaf, or weakened. They hit their marks with their firearms and made quick work of those they wounded rather than instantly killed with clean shots.

Destabilized as they were, Jem'Hadar are still hard to kill. One stubborn and clever soldier was playing dead and bit ferociously into Jasper's firearm and seized the weapon for himself. He fired erratically before Jack slit his thick throat with a surgical knife. The ricochet got Jack in his belly, missing most vital organs but managing to wound him. The pain made him enraged instead of doubling over in pain.

"Jasper, Jack, retreat before reinforcements arrive! That's an order!" Kilana licked her lips.

"Acknowledged!" they answered in their robotic manner.

They stepped into the shuttle. The doors sealed behind them and Kilana fired up the engine and computer. As soon as she did, Weyoun's voice filled the cockpit at maximum volume.

"Traitor!" he howled. "Kilana, how could you, as a Vorta, betray the Founders? You don't betray gods and get away with it!"

"Don't bother trying to stop us, my one-time friend," Kilana sounded weary. "I fried the systems to buy us just enough time to leave this bay and go to warp."

"Shuttles don't have warp drives!"

"I plan ahead before I defect! I invested in my own personal shuttle capable of warp for a single emergency use!"

"You'll be hunted down for this, I swear it!"

"Focus on your war, Weyoun, and leave this woman and child alone! Ever heard the phrase: There are bigger fish to fry?"

"Siana, I hope you hear this!" Weyoun said viciously. "Your lover is blown to smithereens and his pathetic Resistance wiped out in one fell swoop! Entire cities are being carpet bombed on your beloved Cardassia and your bastard will never be accepted by his people if they aren't extinct!"

Siana said nothing at all but felt extremely sickened.

"Merely half of what that man says is true," Kilana tried to sound reassuring.

_Which half?_

"Shut up, you heretic!" Weyoun screeched. "You don't know me nearly as well as you think you do! You'll never be cloned again! You'll experience final death and cease to be remembered! The Founders will curse you!"

"The cloning facilities are done. The Founders are done. And you are right, Weyoun. I don't know you. You've been cloned far too many times. You must have permanently flawed genes to have been killed and resurrected so often. The Weyoun that I personally knew was so much better," Kilana twisted the knife around in her mouth to make his ears and heart bleed all the more.

The shuttle blasted through the opened bay doors and into space so violently Siana was astonished she didn't go into labor then and there. Weyoun's voice couldn't carry so far and the engine practically died from the strain. Kilana's hair was a hot mess, her makeup smeared like blood and bruises all over her face. Even the Jem'Hadar were shaken.

Siana let out a loud curse in Cardi and then Bajoran. Kilana examined her soldiers' injuries. Jasper had minor nicks and bruises, but Jack needed her urgent care. She produced synthetic White and a regenerator to heal him. She soothed him and stroked his face as she worked on him.

"Thank you," Siana said with whole-hearted sincerity. "Thank you."

She repeated those words and rocked herself as they began to drift in space.


	6. Epilogue

"Kilana, would you please allow me to hold my own child so that I can feed him?" Siana snapped at the Vorta woman. "I swear, you are going to demand Jivan as payment for saving my life next?"

"That is tempting."

Several months had passed and Siana was about to meet Damar's family for the first time. She was terrified, but she knew she owed it to them. As a condition for saving her life and that of her baby's, Siana had also had to make a deal with Kilana. She required her to remain at her side for an undetermined amount of time helping her to tame the Jem'Hadar as a whole race. She would have to leave her baby with the grandparents if they accepted him at all. They might resent her for that too, thinking she just wanted to abandon the baby. Kilana was there to set them straight.

A few days after Jivan was born, Starfleet had discovered their shuttle. They were wary of the strange passengers at first but quickly became excited when Kilana explained why they had come. They analyzed Siana's data rod and the research on it and were more than happy to accommodate them.

Jivan was given extra care just to be on the cautious side. Siana worried something would come up in his tests proving her doubts about herself, but the doctors were pleased to announce to her that Jivan was quite healthy and seemed to be happy for a newborn. They were shocked when she admitted she had been forced to give birth to him in space. They offered her counseling and the like, but she was grateful for what they had done so far.

After the good news, they were reluctant to tell her about the Dominion War and the fate of Cardassia. Then she became terribly depressed and did accept grief counseling. Motherhood was an adjustment, but nothing could prepare her for the fact that Damar had been confirmed dead and millions of Cardassian civilians were dead and its infrastructure totally destroyed as the Dominion had nearly carpet bombed the entire planet.

It was a happy surprise then, when Siana received a message from a certain Cardassian woman named Iniki Melset. She told Siana that she was related to Damar and that his parents were alive after all. She had received a tip that she was mistress to the former hero. Damar had fallen in heroic battle on Cardassia after uniting them against their conquerors. Jivan would be adored as much as a princeling thanks to his father's great sacrifice.

Kilana had initially been reluctant to come near the baby, but over time, the Vorta woman had become border line obsessed with him. She loved to hold him and rock him every chance she got. Jack and Jasper had been enormously helpful during his birth but couldn't get either woman to allow them near him much. Siana was surprised at how nurturing Kilana could be considering Vorta women never gave birth. She wasn't sure if they could. They weren't genetic eunuchs like Jem'Hadar, but she assumed they were all sterilized and repressed sexual desires of any kind.

"I wish my boys had stayed this adorable so long!" Kilana cooed. "How long do babies naturally stay little babies?"

"It depends on the species; now give him back to me!" Siana groaned. "It may be a long time before I hold him again."

"I will allow you to have frequent visits," Kilana promised.

"Yes, but will his grandparents allow it?"

They would get their answer soon enough. Their shuttle landed in its designated spot. Even in Cardassia's capital where the cleanup had been most urgent, the entire planet was in a terrible state. A Cardassian woman greeted them first. She had unusual hair for her species. The coloring was different and she had a wave to it that was quite beautiful. Her eyes were hard on Siana.

"I am Melset, the officer that contacted you. Where is the child?"

"He is here."

Siana raised him up in her arms. Melset's eyes flickered, but otherwise, she showed no hint of emotion. That almost convinced Siana to turn back into the shuttle. She was a mongrel and had an extramarital affair knowing Damar was a married man. She was scum and this was a proper and patriotic woman scrutinizing her. She didn't stand a chance. She was a fool thinking this would go well.

"He looks like his spitting image!" Melset's features softened and she struggled to keep her composure. "You are aware that Corat was my brother?"

"I had no idea!" Siana gasped. "Oh, Melset, he was a good man! He was-"

Melset raised a hand to silence her, "My parents are coming this way. Give us a moment with him?"

"You mean give him to you?" Siana hesitated.

She was reluctant to let go of her baby for even a moment. Her arms trembled. She saw an elderly pair of Cardassians approaching. Melset's gaze was not unkind now as she held out her arms and waited patiently.

"Siana, the baby is Cardassian. He will need as many of his family members as he can get especially in light of his father's absence," Kilana reminded her at her side. "And Cardassia is in sore need of their children. Every child."

"Yes, you are right."

Siana slowly gave the baby to his aunt after planting a kiss on his sleeping brow. He was fed and dreaming at the moment. Melset cradled him and graced Siana with a smile. Then she broke away to present Jivan to his grandparents who kept their distance. As they doted on him, Melset spoke to Kilana about the arrangement Siana hoped to make.

"I understand," Melset said. "I apologize that my parents won't meet and greet with you at this time. My family has seen terrible loss recently. Cardassia has suffered more than it ever has in its long and proud history. They are deeply grieving the loss of my brother and his family. But you have, in a sense, given us something back. Like it or not, you are family. Do you have any idea what that means to my people, Siana?"

"I can't entirely," Siana admitted. "I won't lie or pretend. I am not Cardassian."

"You have my respect for saying that," Melset nodded. "You have earned visitation rights as far as I am concerned. You have a calling that this Vorta woman spoke of. A debt. See to that, and someday, you may have a place in this family. Cardassia is about to experience a metamorphosis. Much will change that has needed changing for far longer than I ever cared to see it."

"Thank you!" Siana burst into tears.

She tried to brush them away and was furious at the display of emotion. It didn't matter that she might be giving up her child temporarily or perhaps risking losing him forever. They could clearly see it was in his best interest and Cardassians discouraged displays of emotion.

"Don't do that," Melset told her. "Return again soon, sister."

"I would like that," Siana managed a weak smile.


End file.
